FCT Days 3-13:

As thy days, so shall thy strength be. Deuteronomy 33:25

A precious promise this last two weeks! It has been rainy, snowy, cold... But the experience of touching peoples lives for eternity is worthy the pain, long days, and sacrifice.

Obviously I have not been posting each night. Things have just been so busy. And now I have so many stories I will never get them all written down and I've already forgotten half of them. I was (ashamedly) shocked at how open and hungry people are for the books. Many still reject, give, excuses, or say they are already Christian and have their own church. Some are sincerely unable to purchase the books, but want to know if I will come back in a week when they will have money. I cannot do that, but I can give them a Happy-D and show them how to order them later. Then at least they have one message book. Some of them I give the book to for free because either I have received extra donations from others who don't want any books, or because I can tell they really want them and the message will not be lost with them. Yesterday I got my first Spanish book out. We have He Taught Love in Spanish. They lady didn't have then ten dollars, but after telling her I would give it to her if she would read it, to which she gladly agreed, and praying  with her, she went inside and brought out $7. "I don't have ten, but I have this," she said.

So many I could tell...Rebekah who gave $25 dollars of the last $60 she had to last over a week until payday. She also was having to pay people to take her to work because her car was in an accident. I prayed with her that God will would allow her car to be fixable and to stretch her remaining money in thanks for her generosity to me. We happened to be eating yesterday in the parking lot of Radio Shack where she works and so I ran in to see if she was there and ask how things were going. She was glad to see me and said with joy on her face that her boyfriend had taken her to a friends shop over the weekend and fixed it so she can drive it again. The answer to our prayers! At church this last Sabbath I shared the experience and a church member asked where she worked and for her name because he wants to take her an envelope with $25 and just give it to and say, "The Lord impressed me to give this to you." I exchanged email addresses with Rebekah yesterday and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for her. I invited her to the couples Valentine's dinner at church this weekend. She's not sure if she can get off work, but sounded interested. She will stay in my prayers.

There is Ben who I gave a Great Controversy because he didn't have any money with him. He gave me his card with his cell number and told me where he lived so I could stop by if I was in the area and he would give me the money for the book. I called and left a message inviting him to church this last Sabbath. I'm going to call him again. He has a little boy who he said he wants to take to many different churches so that he can have a taste of different religions.

There is so many more....Someday I will write them down. Until then they each live in my heart and in my prayers and encourage me to press on when my back hurts and I can't feel my toes for the cold. In my worship this morning I read the chapter in Steps to Christ entitled The Work and the Life.

"From the manger to Calvary He followed the path of self-denial and sought not to be released from arduous tasks, painful travels and exhausting care and labor. He said, "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28. This was the one great object of His life. Everything else was secondary and subservient. It was His meat and drink to do the will of God and to finish His work. Self and self-interest had no part in His labor.

So those who are the partakers of the grace of Christ will be ready to make any sacrifice, that others for whom He died may share the heavenly gift. They will do all they can to make the world better for their stay in it. This spirit is the sure outgrowth of a soul truly converted. No sooner does one come to Christ than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus; the saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut up in his heart.

And the effort to bless others will react in blessings upon ourselves. This was the purpose of God in giving us a part to act in the plan of redemption. He has granted men the privilege of becoming partakers of the divine nature and, in their turn, of diffusing blessings to their fellow men. This is the highest honor, the greatest joy, that it is possible for God to bestow upon men. Those who thus become participants in labors of love are brought nearest to their Creator."

Though the battle has been fierce and the trials hard, I know that God is doing something in me that, when I see the fruits and receive the reward in heaven, I will count as more than worth every sacrifice!

We are here till Sunday the 21st so keep praying. There are many more people to be reached. Thank you!!